Legend
Su = summer
F = fall
W = winter
Sp = spring
YR = year-round

[July 2005] = Most recently checked by KB
[N/A] = Not yet checked by KB

  = Location is within +/- 10 miles of the indicated interstate highway. This is especially helpful for out-of-town birders who may be passing through Georgia while travelling and would like to get a quick birding fix. This is also helpful for birders planning a "Big Day," where staying close to a major interstate corridor is essential for covering the greatest diversity of habitats in 24 hours.

   = Location is a "Georgia Birding Hotspot." Though this designation is subjective, it generally means that the area should be given high priority when planning a birding trip to a region. Some Hotspots offer incredible, productive birding virtually year-round (Jekyll Island), while the best birding of the year may be more seasonal at others (Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park).

SBM = Shorebird Migration; this very generally refers to mid-March thru May in spring and mid-July thru mid-October in fall. Fall is the prime shorebird season. Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpipers likely only in fall. Peak passage of specific species is quite variable.
PM = Passerine Migration; this very generally refers to April and May in spring and August thru mid-October in fall. This includes all songbirds - wood warblers, vireos, tanagers, thrushes, flycatchers, etc. Peak passage of specific species is quite variable. Spring migration is much more concentrated and birds are often in colorful breeding plumage. Fall migration is more spread out; fall wood warblers can be notoriously difficult to identify (or even impossible to determine sex), with numerous juveniles which do not exhibit the same obvious field marks as adults. 
IBA = Important Bird Area; the aim of the IBA Program is to identify and conserve key breeding and feeding sites for birds. An Important Bird Area is a place that provides essential habitat for one or more species of bird, whether in breeding season, winter, or during migration. These sites are considered to be exceptionally important for bird conservation; see Georgia's IBA Webpage.

Appling County
1) Moody Forest Natural Area       [N/A]
PM, May-June for RCW's and Bachman's Sparrow    
[DeLorme pg. 53, C-8, 9]
Important birds include Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman's Sparrow. Along the Altamaha River and managed jointly by the Nature Conservancy and The Georgia DNR,  the 4,500-acre Moody Forest preserve contains the only known example of the longleaf pine-blackjack oak forest. As many as 300 to 350 acres of the property contain longleaf and slash pine trees that are 200 to 300 years old. Other special areas on the property include forests found on bluffs overlooking the floodplain, cypress-tupelo sloughs that contain trees over 600 years old, and bottomland hardwoods. 1. Drive approximately seven miles north of the town of Baxley on US-1/GA-15. 2. Turn right onto Lennox Road (at the BP Station). 3. Proceed down Lennox Road and turn left onto Spring Branch Road. 4. Continue on Spring Branch Road to a T-intersection with East River Road. 5. Turn right onto East River Road and drive for approximately one mile. 6. The Upland Loop Trailhead is on the left, just before the intersection with Jake Moody Road. 7. The Moody Forest Natural Area office is approximately one mile down East River Road. If you have any questions about planning your visit to Moody Forest, call preserve manager Scott Saucier at (912) 366-9549. Visit the area website.

2) Cattle Ranch        [N/A]
SBM
[DeLorme pg. 53, H-10]
Migrating shorebirds; Baird's sandpiper 2004. Located along the west side of GA 15/GA 121 south of where the two routes split in extreme southern Appling Co. As you pull into the driveway of the ranch, there is a pile of silage and a few mud puddles on the left side of the main driveway, and a pond on the right side of the driveway. IMPORTANT: You must check in at the white building and get permission to bird along the driveway and pond.